nerdcraft

in the bottle: - Fruity, sugary candy. wet: - Immediately goes through a bubble-gum stage. Smells just like that powdery, rock-hard, bright pink bubble gum I hated getting at Halloween. Oh, dear. Okay. Okay. It's settling down some, and I can definitely smell the orange peel and apple blossom now. Oh wow, this is good! It's becoming a cloud of sugar and fruit and sweetness. dry: - This is awesome! I can't explain exactly why I love this, but I do. It reminds me of...something. Another BPAL scent I've tried, but I can't put my finger on it. The pepper note gives this a bit of spice and deepness, so it's not too terribly fruity and sugary. I feel like this is the fruity candy counterpart to Midway - a sugary scent that smells like carnival food that's still quite wearable. overall: Very, very yummy. I'm glad I got this one, and I'll wear it a lot, especially when I need a cheer-me-up kind of scent.

in the imp: - Fresh and lemony, like sour lemon drops covered in sugar. There's something deeper and richer about it though, than just a purely citrus scent. wet: - Nose-tingling and bright lemon verbena. Really nice! The white ginger is coming out more and more. I don't smell any amber at this point, but amber usually doesn't appear on me until I've worn a scent for a while. dry: - This becomes a really fresh and harmonious scent, with a herbally undertone. All the notes combine nicely into a blend that reminds me very much of late spring, when the sun is bright and getting almost-but-not-quite hot, and everything is green and leafy and lovely. The amber never dominates or even makes a strong appearance on me. I only smell it as a slight warmth as Mag Mell fades away. overall: I adore this one! Very bright, very fresh, and just gorgeous.

in the imp: Cinnamon red hots. wet: Whew! Nose-stingingly hot and spicy. Smells like red hots mixed with motor oil. Whoa nelly, that's strong. dry: Dries down a bit softer, and I get flashes of the black pepper and clove. If I didn't know it, I wouldn't think this has dragon's blood in it at all - that note usually is a sharp lilac-y scent on me and I don't get any of that in this. Honestly, it may as well be a cinnamon single note on me! That's all I smell...cinnamon gum. overall: Not unpleasant, but I don't especially want to smell like a stick of Big Red gum all day! Would be perfect for cinnamon lovers though.

in the imp: Werther's Originals. wet: Very sweet, very butterscotch-y, with a slight bit of booze. dry: Still exactly like butterscotch candies with a hint of plastic - it never really morphs into anything more on me. overall: Sticky, sugary, rich butterscotch scent. Fun to try, but not a scent I'd wear.

in the imp: Gooooooorgeous almond. Love it. wet: Super cherry almond, with perhaps a dash of incense to deepen it. Very sweet at this stage, with a sharp bite underneath. dry: The almond mostly disappears, taking a back seat to the vanilla and frankincense. It's a bit odd, really - foody notes combined with a rather assertive incense. I don't get any cinnamon and the heliotrope fades when the almond does. overall: I liked this one quite a bit when I first put it on, but it changed so much as it dried. It went through a stage where I really didn't like it, but has now settled into a not entirely unpleasant rich, resin-y vanilla. Any blend with frankincense has a "church" feel to me, though, which is not my favorite thing to smell like.

in the imp: Aquatic-y, like some kind of blue hand soap. wet: Ooo weee. This gets much heavier than it smelled in the imp, right away. It's a little bit masculine. Mostly a strong, dark aquatic. dry: Still very dark and aquatic, with a bit of sharp greeness there too. It's not a bright and alive green, but a rotting and fading dark green. This is going to sound fairly crazy, but after an hour or so, it starts to smell like my dad's machine shop - this high, harsh, metallic note of machine oil and metal burning. overall: I agree with previous reviews that have said this is a gloomy, oppresive blend. It has a very damp, foggy, somber mood, with a bit of decaying vegetation underneath. It's a little strange, all in all.

in the imp: Mmmmm apples and spices. wet: Nice! Smells like baked apples and juicy pomagranate, with a strong base of florals and a bit of spices. The florals are deep, golden and sophisticated, rather than bright and springy. So...they're autumnal. dry: Dries down into a well-blended scent that perfectly combines all the many notes into a comforting and rich fall perfume. The fruits aren't as prominant at this stage, but I can still smell them if I think about it. This is really beautiful and complex, and reminds me of the last sunny warm days of the fall before winter takes over.

in the imp: Lovely, rich, round floral, with a slight juicy scent. Lots of notes I don't recognize right away. wet: Much juiciness! It's a little disconcerting right now, like my nose is running in circles trying to keep up. But in happy circles - this is really nice. dry: Slightly less citrus juicy, slightly more floral, and definitely amber. This is still very, very lovely. It's so weird that I can pick out the tiniest note of honeycomb (which smells waxy and powdery on me) amidst all this gorgeousness, but it's not enough to harm the overall scent. overall: This is a gorgeous, rich floral that feels warm and sophisticated. It's definitely a golden kind of scent, and it feels like something you'd wear when you have things under control. I can picture a stylish, capable but welcoming woman wearing this. I'll definitely be using this one for special occasions. Lovely!

in the imp: Some random first impressions: smells wet, soapy, and very masculine, with a stomach-turning sour note in there somewhere. Hmm. wet: Still very masculine, much heavier than my usual scents. There's cedar or pine resin in here, I think, as well as an acrid animal-y smell that I think was causing the sour note, and still isn't very pleasant. dry: The high sour note (mostly) goes away, and this has settled into a woodsy, very dry, masculine scent. I can see how this smells like burnt ashes from a wood fire. overall: This is not something I'd wear, or I'd put on my boy. It's not terrible, but it's not my thing at all.

in the imp: Very floral, slightly sweet. wet: Oh, pretty! It's a white, clean floral with a bit of tingly brightness. If I had to give it a color, I'd say light purple. I definitely smell violet and lilac, but the other notes are in the background at this point. dry: The white sandalwood is taking over now, which gives it a dry and almost musty feel. Also, one or more of the florals is going to powder on me. It smells a bit like a grandmother's room would smell - purple-y floral perfume with the musty scent of old photographs and clothing. overall: At first, this was brighter and a little happier than I was expecting, but it fades to a mustier and softer floral. Honestly, I prefer the wet stage, when it's still very bright and pretty. It becomes very reserved and dignified after it dries.

in the imp: Oh my god! That's exactly the smell of dirt! Real, live dirt, as if I'm running my fingers through it at this moment. That's amazing. It smells identical to the earthy, vegetable dirt smell of shucking corn that's right from the garden or planting seeds in damp soil. (To the above reviewer, don't feel weird abot smelling carrots - I keep smelling corn on the cob from this!) wet: Still that astoundingly real dirt scent! Okay, I'm trying to get over my amazement, and sniff out some other notes...there are some faint florals and spices, but it's overwhelmingly vegetable-y dirt. dry: Okay, okay, here are the florals showing up finally. This is a very smooth blend - just a suggestion of sweet perfume wafting around freshly-turned earth. Eventually, after several hours, it fades into a soft "perfume" scent, without the strong dirt note anymore. overall: This is very, very intruiging and one of the most interesting BPAL scents I've tried, in terms of both concept and the actual resulting perfume. I cannot get over how realistically the smell of dirt is replicated here, but it's not just standing on its own - it's blended with enough of the "perfume" scent to make it something special and wearable.

in the imp: Oh my. It has a harsh, almost ammonia-like smell. I can pick out lime and mint, I think, but overall it just smells sharp. wet: Okay, better. Still really sharp, but now I definitely smell lime, and also some deep tropical fruit which I assume is coconut, although I can't tell yet! dry: Yep, definitely coconut. Oh so gorgeous. It's rare that I try a BPAL oil that changes so much from sniffing in the imp to smelling it on my skin. This might be the winner for biggest icky-to-lovely morpher on me. It becomes a luscious coconut with a bright nose-tingling lime note in it. There may be mint in there somewhere too, although that note fades quickly on me. This is a very relaxing, calming, happy and pretty blend. Definitely reminds me of the beach.

in the imp: Oh my god oh my god. I love this. It smells exactly like laying in a field of grass and weeds and dandelions on a sunny lazy summer afternoon. wet: So, so, so pretty and true-to-life. The tangy dandelions, mixed with the green freshness of grass. I really don't smell any of the boozy or hemp-y notes, I wouldn't have even guessed they were there without the description! dry: Roadhouse is so great. It's really fresh, and summery, and green, even after it dries. It's not as sharp after a while, and I guess I can sorta convince myself that I smell the hops and tobacco, but by far the dominant notes on me are dandelion and green grass.

in the imp: Really fruity and juicy! All I can smell is fruit right now. wet: Hmm. This is really nice, but hard to describe. It's definitely still fruity, but in a spicy-fruity type of way, rather than a fresh fruit way. dry: It does smell much more gardeny as it dries - a nice mixture of fruits, florals and earthy woods. On me, the ripe fruits are still the dominant notes, but the other notes are brilliantly blended to make this not just a simple fruit scent. This is very, very nice. overall: One of the more complex BPAL scents I've tried so far, the Hanging Gardens is really balanced and lovely. It's lush and rich without being heavy. I think this would be a perfect anytime scent - by that I mean it would be appropriate for work or a fancy event or hanging out.

in the imp: Lovely, lovely floral. Very pink, bright and wet smelling. wet: This is so pretty! It does smell a lot like a fresh-cut tulip. It's a very springtime scent. I can see how it shares the green grass note with Rosalind - both are very light and fresh scents, although Amsterdam is much more floral and not quite as much grass. It reminds me of something I would have worn in high school, because it's very pretty-smelling and innocent. dry: It gets slightly more aquatic as time goes by - I get more of that little tingly-feeling watery note. Other than that, it doesn't change much. Fades into a soft, pink and green floral. season: spring office-friendly? yes, light and soft I fell in love with this one right away. Like Rosalind, this is very "me". It's a light, fresh floral that is unique enough to stand out, with the tulip scent, but would definitely appeal to traditional department-store-perfume wearers. The only issue I had with this blend is that it fades prety quickly. Other than that, it's lovely!

in the imp: Bright, candylike floral....super floral-y. wet: This blooms right away into a very nice, bright floral. It smells like a bouquet of freshly cut purple blossoms in a vase of water. It actually smells to me of lilac, although that's not a listed note. There's the tiniest touch of coldness that makes this feel more formal or mature than other florals I've tried. dry: Blends into my skin really well. A lovely, though slightly reserved-feeling, floral. overall: When I first tried this one, I thought of it as really mature and almost grandmotherly. Trying it a few more times, though, I really appreciate its beauty and softness. It seems like a very light purple scent, if I had to give it a color. Nice!

in the imp: Smells really, really green - fresh-cut green grass. wet: Oh, pretty! Right now, it's a very fresh green floral. Smells so clean and slightly sweet. I'm not getting any berry scent yet, which seems funny as usually scents with those notes are like, "Hey! Berries!" on me at first. Just a slight sweetness. dry: Gets softer, but stays pretty true to how it smelled at first. I never get a strong berry scent at any point - by far, the grass note is the strongest in this. It's just so, so pretty and fresh and feminine. overall: Lovely! I was 99 percent sure I'd like this one a lot, because I love "green grass" anything (including the smell of actual grass being cut despite my allergies to it, hehe) and I was right. This one is really "me" - soft, girly, green and pink.

in the bottle: Oh wow. Smells like walking into the best bakery you could possibly imagine. Just all sorts of pastries and cakes. It smells a lot like an ice cream parlor, actually...that scent of waffle cones baking. wet: Oh crap. Plastic. The second it hits my skin it turns into plastic. Please please please go away! Okay, a bit of the cassia spiciness is coming out...some dry cocoa. It's not chocolate-y at all, but like dry powdered cocoa. dry: Well, it takes several minutes of plastic and slight burning of my skin, but this eventually dries to a dry, spicy, very toasted blend. That's the word I keep thinking of - toasted. Crispy, toasted pastries and coconut. So a few minutes after I put this on, I was distractedly scratching at my arm, and then looked down, and holy mackerel! Where I applied the oil on my skin is a big angry red welt, covered in little bumps! Uh...no. This made me so sad, because I was really hoping to love this blend. I love the way it smells in the bottle, and would be thrilled if it stayed true on my skin (and I wasn't allergic to cassia) but, alas, it's not to be.

in the imp: Smells very dry - I'm definitely smelling the rosewood the most. wet: On, this smells very much like a traditional ladies' perfume, with heavy wood notes underneath. It's also a tiny bit smoky. dry: I like this pretty well - it's dry dry dry, and very evocative of seances in Victorian parlors. A lovely old-fashioned perfume, mostly lilac on me, mixed with the darker notes of the wood. After a couple hours on, the wood notes are all that's left.

in the imp: Super crazy candy sweet...like an expensive, boozy kind of candy. wet: This is incredibly sweet, with a slight "perfumy" scent. It's a deep kind of fruity candy, not a bright fresh fruity scent like Titania. Very plummy, like plums soaked in wine. dry: This dries less sweet. It's a very deep, velvety scent that does remind me a lot of its description. A tiny bit powdery. Overall, Bordello is sweet, loud, heavy, and very aggresively flirty. A fun scent, for sure.

in the imp: Oh mmmm. Icing - yummy, sugary, vanilla-y cupcake icing. wet: This is so, so yummy. The tartness of currant comes out and it's not straight icing anymore, but there's still a very sweet cake scent. dry: Dry, this moves beyond just a foody dessert kind of scent, and is a very bright and comforting blend that is actually quite perfume-like. By that I mean this is not just a candle-y kind of food scent but works well on my skin, too. season: any office-friendly? yes...your officemates will have cake cravings overall: Awesomely pretty and sweet! Eat Me starts out very, very cake-like and yummy, and dries into a surprisingly wearable scent that's a little warm from the vanilla and a little sparkly with the currant notes but still very sweet. This has great throw on me - I only applied one tiny swipe to my hand, and the boy just walked into the room and said, "Smells like a bakery in here." Which he explained was a good thing. And I agree; this will definitely be a bottle purchase!

in the imp: It doesn't make a big impression on me. Some spiciness and maybe some pine, which I'm sure is the cypress. wet: This reminds me of...something. Some kind of household product, like a bathroom cleaner. dry: Okay, cleanser smell is gone. Now it's a murky, slightly spicy floral. It smells really wet, like a dark, damp wet. season: winter; nighttime office-friendly? I personally wouldn't because it's a little dark overall: This is interesting, but is way too dark for me. I like my florals to be fresher and sparklier.

in the imp: Smells a little bit icky and plasticky on first sniff. Besides that, there's a pretty greeness there and a bright fruitiness too. wet: Oh, hi, rose. Rose rose rose...and a little bit of powder (damn you, honey!). It's pretty. dry: This doesn't change a lot on the drydown - still a nice rose floral with a bit of fruity brightness and slight powder. season: spring and summer office-friendly? yes overall: I like this...it's a sweet, natural-smelling floral that's light and fresh. It fades pretty quickly on me, though.

in the imp: Oh that's crazy! I can clearly smell the pepper, and that's a first with any perfume I've ever smelled. It's a strange combo - definitely bright florals but also the bite of white pepper. wet: Still strange but very fun to smell - my nose is trying to separate and categorize all the things I'm smelling. I can smell the linen scent, which is a lot like Dirty, but I'm also smelling a lot of the pepper, which makes me think...of food. I love fresh ground black pepper and put it on everything I eat that's not sweets. Which is weird because this is distinctly sweet and creamy...but also...peppery. dry: This is sort of going weird and plasticky and powdery on me, but at times it's staying on the milky floral side with the spiciness of ginger and pepper still there. The tea is staying in the background, but I can smell it more and more as time goes on. season: any office-friendly? yes! overall: Well, I think I like this....maybe? I'll have to give it a couple more tries, because it's so very odd, but I like odd. In a random note, my boy (who, when I ask him to smell any BPAL, labels it as one of two categories - "flowers" or "huh") said this smells like tobacco! His nose is crazy.

in the imp: A really rich, round scent - really nice. wet: The main note I'm getting is a very resinous scent, with some spiciness to it (but no peanut butter thank goodness!). There's a slightly acrid note for a few minutes, but that mostly goes away as it dries. dry: Wow, I like this more and more as time goes on. There's a slight powder scent from the honey, but ignoring that, this is great. It's a very sophisticated and sexy scent, and really complex to my nose (in a good all-the-notes-fit-together-perfectly way, not at all in a chaotic complex way). If it was a color, this blend would be deep, deep red with gold flecks. season: fall or winter office-friendly? yes overall: This is a really gorgeous, complex, rich scent, with a "clean" feeling vibe too. It's not exactly me but I think it'll be good for a change from all my light flowery girly scents.